Book Review: Beyond the Basin by Alexander Beiner

Beyond the Basin
Alexander Beiner
Troubador Publishing Ltd (July 9, 2009)
9781848761384
368 Pages


A young journalist travels deep into the Amazon jungle and a young girl stops at nothing to save her friend from the ominous Sky Teacher. Find undiscovered shamanic tribes, experiment with psychedelic medicines, uncover unusual happenings at a Franciscan mission, and much more in Beyond the Basin by Alexander Beiner.

Anjuiga is an 11-year-old native living with her tribe in the rainforest. In secret, she meets with her friend, Ruah, to play at the basin. Ruah retells the Sky Teacher’s stories and describes the horror that will befall Anjuiga if she doesn’t join him and the other converted villagers at the mission. Anjuiga is terrified after visiting the mission and seeing the Sky Teacher for the first time. She becomes frantic to bring Ruah back to his old life.

Alex Ostritt is a freelance journalist who, along with his friends, uses psychedelic drugs in an attempt at achieving personal growth and higher awareness. Soon after reluctantly accepting a full-time writing job at a magazine, Alex is asked to go to the Amazon to write an important article about a new hotel. For some reason he feels that it is imperative he go on the trip. He travels to the hotel and prepares for his story. While there, he is plagued by strange visions and a desperate need to go to the coast. He doesn’t know what he will find there but can’t ignore his urge to go, so he sets out on foot through the jungle. He makes the seemingly impossible journey without proper gear, guided by a strange voice that leads him to the mission where he meets the priest who runs it, Father Pearse. Soon Alex’s visions begin to make sense—he must find the girl in the forest.

The author brings all the players together in a climatic ending with a series of shocking events. The shamanic tribe holds a celebration that Father Pearse believes he must stop. Ruah and Anjuiga rush to warn the tribe. After meeting the shaman, Alex eats mushrooms and begins a metaphysical, psychedelic, and spiritual trance in which he learns the terrible truth Beyond the Basin.

Alexander Beiner has done extensive research into shamanic tribes and the expansion of Christianity forced on ancient cultures under the guise of rescuing primitives from their ignorance. The kaleidoscopic drug trips are vividly painted from experience and insert a sense of authenticity. Alex Ostritt is a flawed yet complicated, well-drawn protagonist. His conflict with the missionaries over his drug use beliefs and later with Father Pearse kept me intrigued. Anjuiga is young but is an admirable heroine. This is a powerful, thought-provoking story that I won’t soon forget. Beiner’s description of the jungle was so realistic that I could almost feel the heat and smell the lush greenery. I had one minor problem, however, with the book. I was uncertain at times if Ostritt was still dreaming Anjuiga’s narrative, or if she was then a point-of–view character.

Those with a strong stance against drug use, or those unwilling to question religion, may not enjoy this book. I highly recommend Beyond the Basin to those who read with an open mind…prepare to be amazed!


By William Potter for Reader’s Choice Book Reviews

Alexander Beiner holds a degree in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin and has studied shamanism in South America and Africa. He currently lives in London and enjoys volleyball, martial arts and meditation. He also plays traditional Irish flute and is the host of the popular Visionary Artists Podcast.

Available in print at Amazon